Moms with Preemies

[Daynaof3]

 I made this as a handout for my work, wanted to share it:

Mothers with Preemies: Your Milk is Priceless!

Why?

•·       The milk of mothers to preemies is meant for her preemie, your body knows just what your premature baby needs!

•·       Breast milk contains antibodies to fight off life threatening infections such as necrotizing enterocolitis.

•·       Your milk is easily digested and absorbed by baby, it's a wonderful source of energy and nourishment!

•·       Studies show preemies fed breast milk score an average of 8 IQ points higher than those that did not receive their mother's milk!

•·       Preemies receiving their mother's breast milk go home an average of 2 weeks sooner than preemies who do not!

You are a vital component of your babies health, just as important as the doctors and nurses of the NICU.

Providing your milk to your preemie helps you to feel connected to your preemie, recover from delivery by shrinking your uterus to pre-pregnancy size more quickly, releasing hormones to help you relax and feel good as well as helping your baby. You can start pumping right away to provide your baby with your priceless milk! Speak to the lactation consultant at the hospital to help get you started.

Pumping when you can't yet feed your preemie

Preemies may not be able to come straight to breast, if your preemie is not able to feed at the breast quite yet you can pump to provide your priceless milk. Remember that it takes time to build up your supply and you will start out pumping colostrum.

Colostrum comes in small amounts but is packed full of antibodies and nutrients for your preemie. Don't get discouraged! You are pumping not for amounts but the message to your body to begin to make milk so that when your baby is ready to take the breast they will not have to work as hard to get your milk.

Key things to remember about pumping:

•·       Pump right away

•·       Pump every 2 hours for 15-20 minutes to bring in your milk and maintain your milk supply

•·       Your milk supply will build over time, every drop of milk is AWESOME!

Preparing to Pump

Before you pump it is very helpful to "prime" yourself for milk making. Massage your breasts in a circular motion using four fingers pressed gently into the breast, similar to a self breast exam. Do nipple rolling by gently compressing and stretching the nipple to mimic the motion that your babies mouth would make. When babies breastfeed they draw milk from your breast not just by suction but by motion. They use their jaw and tongue to massage the nipple and areola causing the milk to flow.

Pumping

While at the hospital you will be provided with a pump. Speak to the lactation consultant and/or doctors and nurses about getting your insurance company to cover a pump for you once you are home.

Work closely with the lactation consultant at the hospital to make sure you get a pump that is a good fit for you as well as tips for pumping and hand expressing.

Make sure to center the nipple inside the flange/horn of the pump. Hold the pump to your breast making sure not to press into the breast. Start on a low setting and gradually build to the highest setting that is comfortable for you. Immitate the baby at the breast with the pump slowing the suction at points. If you notice the milk stops, take a minute or two to do more massage and nipple rolling and then start again making sure to pump for 15-20 minutes at each pumping session. Be sure to drain the breast. When you stop pumping feel your breasts for hard lumps, if you feel them you can massage the area in a wave like motion while pumping or hand expressing.

Tips for success with pumping and supply

•·       Sleep and exercise increase one of the important hormones of breastfeeding, make sure you get plenty of rest and appropriate amounts of exercise.

•·       Maintain your pumping schedule, pump hourly if you see a dip in supply. Do Kangaroo care(skin to skin with your preemie)

•·       At night keep your milk on ice next to your bed and rinse the pump with warm soapy water, or have a family member do it for you.

•·       Establish a routine and have family and friends help you with it.

Getting started with Breastfeeding

This can begin when you can hold your baby, the first steps to breastfeeding baby start even before you can feed baby at your breast! Doing kangaroo care helps maintain your babies body temperature, baby saves energy, and grows faster. This can also help increase your milk supply!

Learning to take the Breast

When your preemie first comes to your breast they will start learning by licking and practicing at the breast. They can feed by gavage and or tube feeding while practicing at the breast and you can hand express into your baby's mouth. This time is not about how much they get at the breast but teaching them how to feed there. Learning is a step by step process, each step takes time to learn but is very important! Each preemie is different and will learn these steps differently, don't get discouraged you will get there!

Preemies can often find it difficult to take the breast because many times the nipple will be large and sometimes flat. Making a "nipple sandwich" can help. Squeeze the breast at the edge of the areola keeping your fingers parallel to the babies lips. Think of when you eat a sandwich and how you hold it. Your hands compress the sandwich in line with your lips to help fit it into your mouth. It can be helpful to use tape or band-aids to mark where on your breast to hold so that baby have plenty of space to get onto the nipple and areola.

Soften the breast a bit by pumping or hand expressing a small amount can also ease with latching. When you see the baby opening wide quickly bring the baby onto the breast. Expressing a bit of colostrum onto baby's lips can help get baby to open wide for you. Doing breast massage while nursing will help baby get more of your priceless milk. While your baby is learning to take the breast it is still important to pump until the baby is able to drain the breast well on their own. Keeping your supply up will help your preemie by not having to work as hard at the breast.

It is a good idea to delay the use of other feeding devices except gavage feeding such as cup feeding, finger feeding or supplemental nursing systems until baby is taking one good feeding a day at the breast.

Making sure baby is growing well

Your preemie may need to have some supplemental feedings until they are able to drain the breast well. You can use your pumped milk for these supplements. If your baby is taking longer than 30 minutes for a feeding they may need to be supplemented with your milk and you will need to pump to maintain supply. Continuing to pump until baby is feeding well at the breast is important. 

When baby is feeding well and gaining consistently supplementation can stop and you can gradually stop pumping after feedings, decreasing one pumping session every 3-4 days until all are stopped. It is a good idea to continue pumping for a few weeks after your original due date.

Breastfeeding your preemie is a wonderful part of  the physical and emotional healing process. Your preemie is protected, nurtured, and nourished by you! Preemies take time(weeks) to learn to breastfeed, BUT so do full term babies! Have patience with yourself and your baby.

YOU WILL GET IT!

When you are home with your preemie call your lactation consultant and/or your WIC breastfeeding peer counselor with any and all needs! We are here for you, and we care about you and your baby!

Some useful links to go with this:

Getting a pump through insurance

Making sure your pump is right for you

Tips on Hand Expression

Finding a Breastfeeding Friendly Pediatrician -pdf file

[ncisfreak]

Jun. 19, 2011 at 12:16 AM

thanks for all the helpful info :D